Shared Memories

Submitted by Dr. John T. Baker (her son); from her written memories She died in 2009 at the age of 102.

College Days at West Texas State Teachers College After graduating from Hereford High School in the spring of 1924, I looked forward to entering West Texas State Teacher's College in Canyon. Though fairly close to home, this would be an exciting adventure. I would be--and was--the first person in my whole family to attend college, and would eventually be the first person in my family to graduate from college. In the fall of 1924, I moved into Randall Hall for my freshman year, with many hopes of making friends and overcoming homesickness. This was my first time to be away from home. Fortunately, there were several other "Hereford girls" in the Randall Hall too. My roommate was Nola Mae Brumley; she was a double cousin. Our mothers, who were sisters, had married brothers. Of course, there were many rules in the Hall. One was no smoking. I remember well how one of the girls was caught smoking; she was promptly removed from school and sent home. This was a lesson to remember.

My freshman year, art was my major and English was my minor. With a full subject load and my new friends, I kept very busy. I really enjoyed my first year at college. That year (1924-1925) there were also three brothers attending WTSTC: James Obed Baker, Bryant Orland Baker, and John Ollen Baker from Mineral Wells, TX. They lived together, renting one room in a house down in town. That beautiful house is still there today. All together, seven of the nine Baker brothers and sisters would attend WTSTC through the years. Henry Martin Baker and (John) Cleveland Baker entered in the first class. Then came Obed, Bry, and John Ollen. Next Were Mary Opal and Hortense Oleta Baker. Off and on for 16 years, a Baker brother &/or sister attended WTSTC. They had to work their way through school, and it took them anywhere from 4-13 years to get through and graduate. They all became teachers. My sophomore year (1925-1926), I moved into Randall Hall again. I was so happy to be a familiar place, surrounded by the friends I made the year before. It was so good to be with them again. I was excited and ready to meet new friends and teachers, and have new classes.

I soon met a young man in a red sweater, standing in the aisle of the auditorium. His name was John Ollen Baker. He was the brother of Bryant O. Baker, a student -teacher I had in science class the year before. Thus began a wonderful friendship and a better social life. I made my lasting friendships this sophomore year. 1. An Art Club was formed, with L.A. Osgood (an English professor) and Miss Isabel Robinson (the art teacher) as our leaders. I joined the club, which had 20 members at first. I became the 1926 Annual Representative for the club. I enjoyed doing the art work for the annual. My sophomore year was so exciting for me. That year, I also joined the Sesame Literary Society. Over all, it was called the Cousins-Sesame Literary Society; the Cousins were the men's fraternity, while the women's sorority was known as the Sesames. Up to this time in my life I had long hair, so long I could actually sit on it. However, at college I had been braiding it each day and would wrap it up around my head. To make mornings easier, I decided to cut my hair; several girls did the cutting. I wrote a letter back home, explaining to my mother and father my reasons for cutting my hair, hoping they could and would accept what I had done. Of course, they continued to love me. This was a wonderful year; my memories are all pleasant and happy.

My senior year (1927-1928) also got off to an excellent start. I lived in Cousins Hall. My roommate was new freshman Hortense Baker, a sister of John Ollen from Mineral Wells, TX. With the brothers Bry, Obed, and John Ollen, we all became quite a group indeed. We had many great times that year, with so many friends. We enjoyed walking the mile to town to the movies, playing tennis, going on picnics, to the creek north of town on Palo Duro draw, over to the Palo Duro Canyon, and to the Lighthouse. Sometimes we went in small groups, and other times we went in large groups. Oh, what a wonderful time we had going to plays and entertainments! We went to all the college football games; John Ollen was the bass drum player in the marching band. We also had many clubs and societies our senior year. One was the Whiteface Club, which was made up of all the students from Hereford, TX--and there was a bunch of us! D.A. Shirley was our sponsor, and we all wore cowboy hats with red bandanas around our necks. I became the Annual Representative for the Whiteface Club, and designed the art work for the 1928 annual. That year, the name of the art club became The Phideas Art Club. Our leader/ sponsors Mr. Osgood and Miss Robinson worked very hard to promote art as much as they could. I had a great time in the club, serving as their 1928 Annual Representative, for which I also did the art work. Oh, it was a wonderful experience! Also that year, the Cousins-Sesame Club formed in 1926 elected me their Annual Representative. Again, I enjoyed doing the art work and layouts for the annual. One of my biggest thrills came when the Cousins had me design their new pin for their men's fraternity.

One time, John Ollen and I decided to miss class and go to the picture show to see The Indian Love Call. This was a cold a snowy day. We put on our snow boots and walked the mile to see a wonderful moving picture show. This was a special show; well worth skipping class to go see--or so we thought, until the mile walk back to campus in the snowstorm. We had missed Dr. Cook's class in education. After the next class, Dr. Cook asked us to stay. He never scolded us, but assigned us two extra chapters to read and outline. This taught us a real lesson indeed. My memories of college at WTSTC were some of the happiest years of my life, and I have always been so thankful for my education there.

After graduation in 1928, John Ollen and I married that summer and became school teachers. John Ollen became the Superintendent of Schools at Bovina, Texas & I taught English, Art, & 7th grade. A year later we moved to Dallas, where he entered Baylor University College of Medicine. He became a Medical Doctor in 1933. When the chapel was built, my parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Brumley of Hereford, paid for one of the windows. The Baker brothers paid for another. Their names are still on the name plates in the chapel. John Ollen practiced medicine for 50 years, until his death in 1983. Over the years, we enjoyed returning to WTSU for homecoming. We visited the campus many other times. Our memories will last forever.

Submitted by Dr. John T. Baker (his nephew); from his written memories

West Texas State Normal College - THE MILITARY AND CUTTING MY FINGER OFF

In 1918, most healthy young men were being encouraged to enlist to fight in what was then still known as The Great War. We were torn between joining up and/or finishing college. After finishing the previous school year at West Texas Normal School, my hometown friend Roderick Baucam and I decided to enlist at Canyon for military service. I was living with older brother Cleve [a teacher at the Normal School], his wife Ruth, and their two children, Ruth and JC. I joined the Army Air Corps to keep from being drafted. I would go on to Kelly Field [later Air Force Base] in San Antonio, and who knows what excitement after that. The Army gave me a two-week waiting period before sending me off to San Antonio. So I went to work for a farmer named Mr. Brown, who also we rented a house from where we all lived on his farm. I would be harvesting crops on land that is now part of the City Park today.

I was harvesting a row crop, with a 3 horse-drawn, three-row binder ["grandfather", so to speak, to the combine]. I was trying to cut small rows, when the cog on the upper elevator chain caught the little finger on my left hand. Everything came to a stop with a locked bull wheel in the deep sand soil. The three horses stopped. There wasn't much bleeding. By the sun, it was 11:30 in the morning. Owing to my predicament, I could not reach the ranch box for the pipe wrench to turn the cogs back. I wasn't due to be picked up till near dark at the end of the day. So I did the only thing I could do. I took out the pocket knife I used every day to cut peaches at lunch and commenced to cut off what was left of my finger. However, I couldn't cut through the bone. So I wound up just having to wave my hat and wait till I attracted attention. Finally, the hay bailing crew stopped for lunch at noon. They saw me wave and came a running.

They found the pipe wrench, got the cogs of the row binder running backwards, and released the little finger of my left hand that had been caught for so long in the cogs and chain. I was free. I wrapped my left hand with my handkerchief, got on my horse, and rode the 1½-mile to Dr. Griffin's office to "do what was best". He trimmed it all up and sewed the remaining skin up over the bottom knuckle up all nice and pretty. I was sitting in a chair throughout the "operation". In the middle of the procedure, my brother Cleve came in the doctor's office. This brought a tear to my eye, as the possible implications of the accident began to dawn on me. Nearly 20 years old, I lost a finger! We both just cried, right there.

A day or two later, I went by the Office of the Draft Board in Canyon. They took one look at my hand and said they couldn't take me now, because I wasn't whole anymore. They said it would interfere with my duties, but it hasn't interfered with much of anything I have done with my life in more than 70 years since then. Uncle Sam didn't want anything to do with me after that anyway. At the time I felt they were being unfair. But also at the time, I didn't know the life expectancy for pilots in combat was only three weeks. So it turned out to be a real Blessing. The day after being turned away from military service, I enrolled again in classes at West Texas Normal College. I only missed three days of class, which I was able to make up. I got a letter from my other older brother Henry saying, "Stay in school and get an education, Obed." He also sent a check for $100 to help me out. This was a lot of money for anybody in those days. Armistice was signed 11 November 1918, and the fighting ended. The only two ways my missing finger ever hindered me were playing baseball and picking cotton. But oh, how that finger affected my life! Even if I survived the war, I might never have gone back to college. As it was, I enjoyed a 15-year career as a teacher, coach, and School Superintendent. Then I became a Dentist and practiced dentistry for 51 plus years.

But oh how the ROTC men and soldiers had a profound influence on the whole West Texas campus though. The handsome uniforms, marching drills on campus parade grounds every morning and evening, and singing of marching songs benefited all of us. Oh my, how the ladies were attracted to them. This was a sight to see! During the 1918-1919 school year, I was on the basketball team. Mr. RA Terrell was the basketball coach. The winter of 1918 was a bad one. The team was on the train en route to play New Mexico, when we saw snowdrifts over the fence. Cows were even frozen-some to the rails of the track. The crew had to pull cattle off the tracks so the train could run. That was a cold winter, but I was so fortunate to be there. Getting that finger cut off allowed me the opportunity for the wonderful WTSTC education that benefits my life today.

CAMPING AT THE LIGHTHOUSE IN PALO DURO CANYON

I was born in 1898 on a farm near Mineral Wells, TX. My older brothers Henry Martin Baker and John Cleveland "Cleve" Baker were in the first freshman class of 1910 entering West Texas State Normal College Teachers College in the Panhandle town of Canyon near the big Palo Duro Canyon. By 1916, Cleve was on the faculty of the college and working in the training school. I was 17 years old in 1916, and my brother Bryant was 15. That August, Cleve invited the two of us up to live with him in Canyon, finish high school at the training school, and begin our college education at West Texas. We jumped at the opportunity. We Baker Brothers were all farm boys that enjoyed the outdoors.

Palo Duro Canyon, at the time, was still much like wilderness, with the allure of the frontier. (In fact, it remains so, all these years later). For several years, Henry and Cleve had written letters that delighted Bry and I with tales of the adventures to be found in the Palo Duro. As a result, we could hardly wait to see the beautiful canyon for ourselves. While attending school the next two years, we visited, hiked, hunted, and camped in Palo Duro Canyon at least once a month. Being poor farm boys, we couldn't just go off on a wild camping and hiking trip. We had to combine the adventure with hunting meat for food. Cleve had a Winchester pump .22-caliber rifle and a Dodge touring car. With his wife Ruth and son JC Jr. in tow, Cleve would take Henry, Bry, and myself [Obed] out for a weekend of rabbit hunting with the ".22" in Palo Duro Canyon.

We would leave Friday after school or first thing Saturday morning and drive the dirt road paths out to the rim of the canyon, on the flats above The Lighthouse. All the way, we brothers took turns shooting rabbits for meat. Sometimes we camped on the ridge by the car, but usually we climbed down to The Lighthouse and camped on the flat between the tower and the high cliff adjacent. The erosion was not as bad then, making for a much easier hike than could be made today. Women often wore their long dresses on such walks. Most of the time, the whole weekend would be spent hiking, camping, and exploring in Palo Duro Canyon. And of course, we were also always shooting enough rabbits to hold us over between excursions.

Back at camp we cooked the legs and back straps, feasting on the rabbit meat. Sitting around the fire, we ground and chopped the meat into sausage. We would always go home early enough on Sunday so we could finish making all the meat into rabbit sausage. This is the only source of meat I remember during our two years living together. When we ran out of sausage, we all got to replenish our supply with another adventure in the Palo Duro. This very practical endeavor was always fun. We were not the only ones that did this though. There were lots of other poor students who also hunted rabbits for the meat. During the years 1916-1918, there were lots of jackrabbits on the Plains, as well as down in the breaks of Palo Duro Canyon. As a result, all the meat you could eat was available via this method. We all became good shots with that Winchester .22 pump action rifle. And what a thrill it was to camp out in that big wilderness frontier area in 1916! Every evening and night, we heard mountain lions, owls, coyotes, and bobcats. Occasionally, we would even hear a timber wolf! These sounds were familiar to me, after a childhood spent in the Palo Pinto Mountains near Mineral Wells. We heard them less back home by 1910 though. The abundance of these sounds made me feel at home in the Palo Duro.

Me and my four brothers (different combinations of us at different times) were in attendance at the college from 1910 to 1929. During most of those later years, we had employment and didn't go hunting as much, but we all went on lots of picnics and outings in both small and large groups. From the 1920's on, the canyon became a favorite place for the students to enjoy. Newton Harrell was a classmate of mine at West Texas. Later in life, he became the owner of the Lighthouse Ranch in the Palo Duro. One year, we played together on the basketball team. Good times! - Obed Baker, 1986

SEINING FOR FISH AND BRY ALMOST DROWNS BY JAMES OBED BAKER DDS, WRITTEN DOWN IN 1986

Brother Bryant and I went live with brother Cleveland at Canyon in 1916 to finish high school. Brother John Ollen followed a few years later. Cleve had found a creek north of town and north of the college. This creek forms Palo Duro Canyon. That was such a beautiful stretch of water that the college eventually bought it, turned the area around the creek into a park, and used most of land surrounding the creek in the agricultural program of the college. Ever so often, Cleve, Bry, and I would take a net 2-6 miles downstream and seine the creek for fish. We took the fish back home to eat, thus supplementing from time to time our diet of sausage made from jackrabbits we killed during camping trips to the Palo Duro Canyon. I have loved fish ever since.

Several years later, the college put a small dam across the creek in order to develop a nice little picnic area for the student and teachers. The little lake/pond area became a favorite with students and teachers alike. Once, when we three Baker Brothers (John Ollen, Bry, an myself) were sharing a room together as students, Bry and I went with another young man and three girls for a picnic at the pond. While I waited on the shore, Bry and the other fellow took the three girls out on the lake in the boat. Some one of them stood up in the boat, and the whole thing turned over. One of the girls and the other young man were able to swim out together. Unable to swim, the other two girls clung to Bry and commenced to pull him down and under. Bry almost drowned, before I was able to swim out, knock one of the girls off of him, and get her ashore and onto the bank. Bry was able to get control of the other girl and pull her safely on to the bank. I am still scared, thinking that I could have lost my beloved brother on that day nearly 70 years ago.

The little dam made a beautiful waterfall 3-4 feet tall. Several miles downstream was yet another waterfall, anywhere from 15 or more feet in height. This creek and waterfall was featured in several of the school yearbooks. I worked with the photographer in getting some of those beautiful pictures. In recent years I have often wondered if this or other such pour-offs still exist, have washed away, or dried up. I have encouraged my nephew John and his children to try to find out the answer to this question for me. (NOTE, added 8-6-06 by Dr John T. Baker-nephew. This waterfall downstream is Dreamland Falls, and is just downstream below the lake. It is still beautiful, but not much water goes over it any more due to the lake.)

BRY & OBED PLAY FOOTBALL AT THE TRAINING SCHOOL

When we went up to attend the training [high] school at Canyon in 1916, Bry and I finally got to go out for football. We both made the team, with me playing lineman and Bry in the backfield. Times were so tough even for the school that we had to furnish our own shoes. Personally, Bry and I were so strapped that we had to play in our street shoes. We played in a game or two. Bry scored a few touchdowns, and I, being a big farm boy, did well on the line. We were both concerned about getting hurt though, so we soon quit the team. There were a lot of injuries, probably because some students did not have all of the necessary equipment.

West Texas State University was a great place for me to gain my B. S. degree. I was a graduate of Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D. C. (where Clinton and Obama sent their kids) and did some graduate schooling at Clark University and Harvard Business School. By far, my greatest learning growth came from WT and life in the Panhandle prepared me better for my own life experiences than anything else I've done.

Twenty-six years ago I retired from General Motors divisional management. Although I have stayed active in community needs (school board, township government, tax assessor, and many other non-paying activities), my "main thing" has been playing tennis six-days-a-week every year. Today my foursome included graduates of Northwestern, Michigan and University of Pennsylvania. I love telling people like this that I graduated from West Texas A & M. They are surprised, ask how I found WT and listen as I tell them of my great love for the school and the location. My many friends from the college years are honest, straight-shooters, hard workers, not pretentious and plenty smart. I have tried to emulate the qualities found in most of my fellow students and believe it helped in my personal life and business success.

We leave tomorrow for an Audubon birding trip to Costa Rica. My wife, Carolyn, and I celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary later this year on the cruise ship Oceania Regatta in the Caribbean. We had the privilege of paying 29 man-years of college for our sons who became a medical doctor, a dentist, a veterinarian and an electrician. My wife became a college librarian after our kids grew up. West Texas principles, qualities and attitudes helped this WT graduate have a good life into his eighties......and I feel great....."your serve"!!

Name: Suzanne Rogers

Matilda Guame, Houston Bright, Dr Garner made being a music major an exciting learning time in Fine Arts Building. I was in the choir when we sang the alma mater when West Texas State College became West Texas State University. I got to accompany Royal Brantley on piano when he preformed excerpts from "The King and I" for civic groups. One of my daughters even took ballet in FAB and she and her future husband studied fine arts in that building. My experience in my only introduction to art class with Claudia Neeley wasn't very good the day I accidentally spilled very permanent black ink all over my red skirt.

The two photos below are of Jim and Prissy (Harris) Cook leaving for the prom in April, 1960 and the other is in the same spot 50 years later. This wasn’t just their first date, it was Prissy’s very first date. They live in Amarillo. Prissy’s dad was the assistant football coach and she used to live in Buff Courts.

Like most people in Industrial Distribution, I worked through school. Coming home from Sears Auto in Amarillo a friend and i heard there was a special event on campus! We rushed in about 10 pm on a Wednesday night and then to the front of the library to act as diversion for KA as they "Streaked the Library". The campus police went north and the 'Streakers' went south; then here comes a 'streaking girl'---on horseback --- sock mask and hat. We all knew the horse and therefore the girl. My new wife came with me in 'rollers' and a housecoat. Luckily she didn't jump out and streak too.

I arrived at W T in the spring of 1975 on a football recruiting visit. It was my first trip to the state of Texas from my home in Fort Lauderdale Florida. My football host was Mike Lusane(RIP) from Akron Ohio. He took me all over the "Amarillo/Canyon" metro. I still don't know all the places we went but that weekend WT seemed like fun place to be. My first question was" Where are all the Black people"?I committed to Coach Mayfield during that recruiting trip that weekend. What learned was that you need a coat in Texas? I didn't own a coat. The tumble weeds I saw on television were real, and yes it can snow on the first day of May. During those years there was nothing at the university for Black students. It was really like you were from the city and got invited to a square dance. Thanks God for my fraternity Omega Psi Phi we created social events for students. The social environment is such a big part of the overall college experience. In Athletics I remember winning the conference football championship in 1977. Yes WTSU was the Mo Valley Champs.(it is still difficult for me to say West Texas A&M) but we all must change. Academically I remember my marketing professor Dr. Rusty Brooks giving me the confidence to pursue the degree in marketing. By the way we had a great business school. At the end of the day college isn't really about the buildings (but I love what is going on with the building on campus) it really is about the shared experiences with the people you meet along the way. Your college friends are life long. In Canyon I met people that was radically different from myself and different from the people of South Florida. I now have a little of that "Panhandle grit" that has helped me in this journey we call life. There is a saying in our Frat" If you can make it in Canyon, you can make it anywhere". The members of my fraternity Omega Psi Phi return to Canyon every other year. We also give scholarships to students to attend WT throughout the G Wilson Foundation. Looking forward to being at Homecoming for the 100 year anniversary. Go BUFFS!!!

1977

Name: Donna Robinson-Taylor(NEW)

I lived in Hudspeth Hall both freshman and sophomore year. Hudspeth was an upper classman dorm at the time, however it was great. I lived in Unit J and Room #4. We had room check at midnight. My roommate was from Big Springs,Texas. I pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority during my sophomore year in Hudspeth Hall. In the fall of 1975,I moved to Ruth Cross, air conditioning at last.

The people of WTSU: they shaped my life forever. Jim Holston (of blessed memory), director of the Student Activities Council was my mentor, teaching me people skills and tolerance. Bill Lee (of blessed memory) and Sara Stone allowing me to explore journalism and freedom of expression. Paul Matney, Jamey Neill and all the people at KWTS who made my future career a fun-filled adventure of learning. There are so many more teachers and fellow students to mention, if time permitted. The memories of all were truly pivotal in my maturation into adulthood. It could not have happened at any other university. WT was the right place at the right time.

Name: PJ Pronger

I used to play pickup basketball in the activities center along with a lot of other students. On many occasions we would see Maurice Cheeks, a WT basketball player, on the court practicing free throws for hours on end. I was impressed with his dedication and self discipline whenever he gave up the fun stuff to concentrate on improving his skills. WT played in Division I at the time, and the basketball team travelled to Louisville to take on the nationally ranked Cardinals. In the final seconds of a close game, Cheeks sank 2 free throws to win the game and the following Monday WT was ranked #18 in the country. Cheeks went on to greatness, first schooling Phil Ford, a highly touted guard from North Carolina, in the Pizza Hut Classic (to the amazement of TV commentator Brent Musburger), then going on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers and winning the NBA championship in 1983 by sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers n the finals and losing only one game in the entire playoffs.

1980

Name: Martha G. Williams

My family and I got to go to a celebration of the Class of 1910 which honored my paternal grandmother and her classmates. I was only eight years old, but I still remember it. I remember feeling proud of my grandmother. Her name was Emma Grace Jameson (Phillips).

Name: Milton Smith

I use to watch the Dallas Cowboys play the New York Giants. My favorate player was a running back for the Giants, Rocky Thompson. He had a big Fro that was too much to fit under his helmet. When I was recruited to WT in the Spring of 1976, My hero, Rocky Thompson was introduced during the indoor track meet in the AC. I told my high school teammate, "I did not know he went here." I watched the Buffs and Mo Cheeks beat Tulsa on TV while while on that recruiting visit also. My high school head coach, Lee Herrington, coached football at WT. One of the Assistant football coaches and JV basketball coach, Joe Moore was from Canyon. They influenced me to change my commitment to Texas AT Arlington to WT. There were seventeen freshmen football players that showed up to two-a-days football practice under Coach Mayfield. Most of those guys left when Coach Mayfield was replaced by coach Bill Yung. Nothing has ever brought me more joy than wearing my issued sweat suit that read WTFB across the chest. I was on the scout team and homecoming 1977, another player and myself wore the same number-88-during the game. Dr. Paul Matney asked me Monday in class, "...who was that other 88?" My senior year I lost my football scholarship. I cried in church every Sunday and got a job serving ice cream in the cafeteria to help pay for my senior year. Besides all the crying I did on Sundays, I was president of the Afro American Association. At homecoming, I set up a booth that won first prize for something called laughs unlimited, guaranteed to laugh or your money back. I had my own Radio show on KWTS 91, Music For Lovers, I did Stand-up comedy at the MET in the AC to standing room only crowds. I had been president of our chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. I was Vice President of the Fellowship of Christian athletes. When I graduated In May of 1980, none of the original seventeen ball players stood with me. In 1989 I got a Masters from WT. I have tried to maintain a membership in the Alumni Association since I left. I can not remember the last homecoming I've missed. My Fraternity Brothers and I set up the Gillespie Wilson Scholarship Foundation to give scholarships to Buffs. Homecoming is going to big in 2010 and I would not miss it for the world. Go Buffs!

1982

Name: Wendi Ball Sims '82 (NEW)

I was a Buffalo Belle, the "Little Sisters" of the Herdsmen. I loved the football games! All of us had LOUD bells that we rang! I was once nearly trampled by the mascot when it got away from the handlers! There were Christmas traditions of leading the caroling at the lighting of Old Main. I was in the Acapella Choir in 83-84. We were invited to sing at the American Choral Directors Association in Nashville my first year. We sang an impromptu song in the "Parthenon" in Centennial Park. We sounded like a choir of angels! My second year, we were invited to be in a student program. We spent two weeks as Ambassadors in Austria and Hungary. Hungary was still communist at the time. There were soldiers at all concerts monitoring the crowd and us? The audience was not allowed to give standing ovations. Instead, they clapped and stomped slowly, then faster, and slowly again. God Bless America for our rights and freedoms! God bless WT for the opportunities it gave me!

In the fall of 1983, I was working as a work-study in the speech department in the FAB. My husband-to-be was the manager of KWTS. We met in the FAB, and had our first date to go see Rick Springfield in concert. We were married a year and a half later. Incidentally, my husband and I painted the black room on the first floor...the walls were white prior to 1983.

Name: Vicki Heck

Wonderful Professors guided me in an education stretching my limits to become more than I ever dreamed. They provided the stepping stones for me to make a dream come true. And because of their guidance and direction, I was able to go to work everyday. Work is the key word here because with the education obtained at WT (back in those days), I did not go to "work" - I was doing something EVERYDAY that seemed like play!

There are few cardinal rules in theatre yet to remain unbroken, but the memory I immediately think of during my time as one of the first musical theatre majors at WT in the Fall of 1992 involved one: Never call "line" during a dress rehearsal. Unfortunately one of us never got the memo. Friends told me during a final dress rehearsal for the production of "Grapes Of Wrath,”, one of our young actors came onstage and promptly called "line.” For a moment everyone stood on the stage and gasped. My friend and fellow theatre major Bruce Shatney was the first to speak up. "Line??" he asked incredulously. Leave it to the quick-witted Keith Vilyard to make one of the best saves in theatre history: "Lyin'?! We ain't lyin', we're goin' to California!!"

There are so many memories to chose from, but one that stands out was the night the fire alarms went off twice in one night at Shirley Hall. It was freezing that night. I think there might have even been snow on the ground. The first time we all went outside and were standing around in the cold. The second time we just sat in the breezeway waiting for it to be clear! Those of us that had early morning classes were not very happy. Good memories though.

Freshman year in the dorms was so exciting and interesting. I first went to WT right out of high school where I had grown up in a very small community. WT seemed huge and all the new people I saw when I first arrived sure was scary. I remember meeting the girls at Cousin's Hall. They were all great girls! After a couple of weeks of being scared and unsure about college life, I was able to settle in and make lots of great friends and memories. Living in the dorms and having all the fun we had with meetings, hall council, parties and sleepovers sure did make my stay at WT a wonderful experience. I am so happy that I was able to stick with it and follow my dreams! WT is a great place and I am so happy to be an alumni from here. My husband will graduate this May and we are so excited! WE are so happy to be PROUD BUFFS!

Name: Irene Chavarria Lopez

I was only 20 and I had more then I could imagine in my life. I was years away from graduating but was excited to have so much in just my second year of school as a sophomore. I was a candidate for Homecoming Queen. I was President of the Hispanic Association and I was engaged to the love of my life. A man I meant during a meeting of a WT organization we were both a part of. Everything was perfect. WT was going under a lot of changes too. New buildings were being made or talk about new additions to some were coming to the surface. WT gave me more then just a place to learn. It gave me a place to find myself. As I strived to be the leader I always wanted to be, WT gave me the tools to realize my goals, especially for an organization I cared about. I wanted to grow as a person and WT gave me just that. It never limited me as to how far I could go. It taught me that a leader has to be someone who can learn from their mistakes and use that to make things better not keep them down. It taught me that this is a school that cares about who you are and cares about what you have to say. My greatest memories of WT are the ones that remind me that if you push yourself hard enough and you want things bad enough anything is possible. WT will find a way to help you. Go buffs!

When I first stepped on to WT's campus as a junior in high school I knew this was where I was meant to be. I have had so many memories from meeting the love of my life, to making lasting friendships to finding my passion. My favorite memory was when I was a freshman and we were 6-0 heading in to the next game and all the the buzz was the goal posts coming down after the win. I remember sitting in the stands with all these people I barely knew who were fellow students and watching the clock wind down to our win. When we finally won and I followed those same students onto the field and to the goal post, it was a rush. I had never had a winning football team to root for, it felt so good to be on the field with our team showing pride in our team. That's something I can share with my kid and is only one of the many times I was proud to say "I'm a BUFF." I know with graduation just around the corner all of my best memories are at the forefront of my mind but I know that choosing WT was the best decision I made.

Name: Melanie Mahaffey '11

I remember on my second day of class at WT I didn't know anyone in Canyon yet. Then as I was headed in to the JBK to wait for my next class I see one of my friends from back home... I had no idea she would be here and was so overjoyed to see a familiar face.

My great aunt attended West Texas when it was known as West Texas Teachers College. When I found that tidbit of information out it was a driving force that I would attend WTSU. WT was my place to become who I wanted to be. No one from my high school was going to WT and I was excited about being there knowing its history and significance. Buff Branding was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the campus and then the next year I was able to assist with Buff Branding. It was AWESOME! I didn't finish my degree at WT due to getting married and moving, but I was ecstatic when I discovered I could get an online Master's degree. It took three years, and it was a great feeling when I graduated. I took off from work so that I could come home. Though I was not in an actual classroom, my dad supported the WT Buffs football team for me. The day before he died, he was at a game and having a blast. Thanks for all the great times at WT. Hopefully my children will follow suit to attend such a wonderful campus. Thank you for being in the Panhandle of Texas and providing a great school with Texas pride.

I came to WTAMU in the fall of 2005. I had attended three other colleges/universities before, but WT was the only one where I felt like there was lots of opportunity for me. I met a girl in speech class in the old Fine Arts Building that semester. We ended up having another class together the following spring. We started dating then and dated for the next 3 years. After I graduated in 2008 and got a good job, I carefully crafted my plan. She was a reporter then and I had her boss send her on a bogus story. He told her to go to the old Fine Arts Building in Canyon because they were going to demolish it. There wasn't a demolition, but there was a nervous young man with flowers and a ring ready to propose... She said "yes"!

During 2009 homecoming the band “Safety Suit” made my month. They played incredible music and my friends (Mayra Covarubias, Vanessa Reyes, Adriana Barba, Ema Zermeno, and the ODPHI boys) were all in unison listening and enjoying the show. While the band played my friends lifted me in the air. It was tons of fun and a great way to end the bonfire. It is one of my favorite memories, music brought us together.

Name: Erika Dupree

The memory I will forever cherish at West Texas is making it to the DII National Championship Game in 2009 in volleyball. I play on West Texas volleyball team and I love every minute of it. Even though we put in long hours in the classroom and on the court, getting 2nd in the nation makes it all worth it. This year we had a new coach, Jason Skoch and we definitely wouldn't of gotten as far if it wasn't for him and our wonderful coaching staff Sarah Carthel and Dana. The 2009 season was a long journey of hard practices, top teams to beat, long travel trips, wonderful fans, and great teammates. We also have a marvelous booster staff to help with food and equipment. I will never forgot the year we beat out over 200+ DII schools to make it to the final game. It was a dream come true.

Name: Isaac Martinez

It was my senior year at WT and the Buffs had a football contest against #1 undefeated ACU Wildcats. The year before, WT was 0-2 against ACU and so I thought would it be sweet to witness revenge in Wildcat land, especially on their homecoming. So, the fiancee and I decided to make a trip down to Abilene to watch this "big" game. We had met up with a couple more fellow WT students and close friends at the game in hopes to witnessing the same thing. We couldn't ask for better weather for football...nice and warm. Needless to say, we were pumped for this game. After much intense action in the first half, the Buffs were down by 2 which that feeling had come to mind that we were going to pull this off and told my fiancee and friends about my prediction. Even more intense action in the 2nd half had made this trip worth while. With the Buffs pulling off the upset with the score of 32-21. it will remain in my mind the last sweet memory during my time at WT along with walking the stage in December. GO BUFFS!!!

Name: Sarah Newton

I remember marching with the WT Buffalo Marching Band for the first time. As a musician from a small town, I was so honored to perform with such a large and talented group. We worked so hard during practices to get the great sound and form we had. I will always remember the time and effort, the performances, the friends, and the experience I had in the fall of 2009. We truly are "The Sound of West Texas". I look forward to continuing marching with WT's great musicians.

It started to snow, a real snow, the first time in my life and it stuck to the ground for what felt like forever. The next day class was cancelled and the whole school looked like a blank slat waiting to be messed with. My friends and I were out having fun; building snowmen, having snowball fights, and just marvelling at how the world looked the same but totally different at the same time.

Name: Amanulah

Unlike some other graduate students who enjoyed the Canyon and the beautiful campus of WTAMU for long time, my story is a little bit different. I came to join WTAMU for only one year (May 2009 to May 2010) as a visiting faculty (post doctorate) in the dryland agriculture institute. I am very thankful to the higher education of Pakistan who sponsored me for my study at WTAMU, otherwise, I will not be able to became a BUFF of this university. Now I am very proud to be the student-BUFF at WT. I never thought I would be able to get my post doctorate from this esteemed university. It was a very difficult situation coming to the panhandle from Pakistan, but when I reached Rick Husband International Airport (May 28, 2009) all my worries left when I met with my advisor, the hall of fame award holder and the kind, Dr. B.A. Stewart, director of the dryland agriculture institute and distinguished professor.

It was Friday morning (May 29, 2009), that I first saw the beautiful campus of WTAMU, and was encouraged by the very nice Linda Macdonald and Caroline Bryant. I really enjoyed my research work for the one year at Bushland, Dumas and the green house with my friends, especially those from India and Zimbabwe. I enjoyed and learned too much from taking regular classes in different subjects with Dr. Clay Robinson (stats, soil fertility, soil morphology), Dr. B.A. Stewart (global agriculture and environment), Dr. Bonnie Pendleton (field crop entomology), Dr. T. Lawrence (stats-II), and Dr. B. Blaser (field crop physiology), am very much thankful to all these faculty of the agricultural sciences who helped me in the class and outside the class. I am also thankful to James R. Clark (Dean), Dean Hawkins (Chairman)and especially to Dr. Lal K. Almas.

During my one year stay here at WT, I also visited some other areas in Texas, like Dallas, Houston, College Station and Lubbock. I also got to visit Pittsburgh, PA by attending the annual meeting of ASA-CSA-SSSA, and Tribune (Kansas) by attending the field day. But it was the peoples of Canyon and Amarillo who always made me fell like I was home. Moreover, I am happy and proud to spent my one year with Dr. Stewart, who is officially the the best teacher of my life. I am happy to go back to see my little daughters, "Urooj Khan and Afaf Khan", but at the same time I am very sad to leave West Texas A&M University and Dr. Stewart. I am forever grateful.